


Let Me Tell You a Story

by Onlyafraidoffear



Series: Let Me Tell You a Story [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Breastfeeding, Cana’s a great mom, Cana’s not okay, F/M, Gen, Hiding a pregnancy, Implied Underage Sex, Mentions of Suicide, References to Depression, Suicide Attempt, Teen Pregnancy, but she’s getting better, description of child birth, self hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24004195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlyafraidoffear/pseuds/Onlyafraidoffear
Summary: Cana was young to be becoming a mother, but even after all that had happened, she didn’t regret a thing.
Relationships: Cana Alberona/Original Character, Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Series: Let Me Tell You a Story [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738732
Comments: 9
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If I do this right this is going to make you cry. Cana is a character that, to me, is good at hiding her pain, you could stand right next to her and have no clue. The younger Cana also seemed to have some serious self esteem issues. I could totally see her hiding a pregnancy, being too scared to say anything and also wanting to see if anyone would notice something was different about her.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cana discovers that babies have horrible timing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not quite sure where the inspiration for this came from, but I became very attached to this concept of the young Cana- that shy little wallflower who no one ever really saw, that never stood out, and never asked for help having a life changing development and not telling anyone about it. I could completely see her hiding a pregnancy, too scared of rejection to tell anyone, but still hoping someone would notice.

Cana hadn't exactly kept her pregnancy a secret- but she hadn't gone out of her way to tell anyone about it either.

She had told herself it was to prevent Erza and Mira from turning her baby into an excuse to go nuts with the frilly stuff, a way to prevent Master Makarov from looking at her in disappointment, but deep down she had hoped that someone had noticed her behavior change. Had noticed that she had quit drinking, started only taking low-risk local jobs, that she had moved out of the dorms into her own house, and that she had started see a doctor regularly.

She was both disappointed and relieved when no one did. She had always been that way-a wallflower, invisible. She had never put a toe out of line until she had started drinking and then once it became routine to those around her, she once again faded to the background. It was lonely being in the background, the loneliness had led to sadness, the sadness had led to despair, and in that despair, she found someone who gave her back something she had never known she had lost.

Now she was going to have a baby, she was going to bring a whole new life into the world that she alone would be responsible for. And as terrified as she was, she was also thrilled. She wanted this child, she wanted it as much as she needed air. This child proved that there had indeed once been a boy and a girl who had shared something wonderful in a moment of hopelessness. She wasn't naïve enough to think she was back to the girl she once had been, that her baby was not a band aid on her wounded soul, motherhood wouldn't magically make her better- but loving this little life might be the first start.

As soon as Cana had discovered the child in her belly was on its way, she knew that it was time to get serious. Her whole life was about to change, as soon as her baby exited her body, she would cease being a child and become an adult. She couldn't run away, she couldn't fall back on bad habits- having a child was an all or nothing deal, if she hesitated even a bit, she had no right to raise it.

She was still trying to decide on whether or not she would stay in the guild or walk away after the child was born. She had no way of knowing what the reaction toward her and her baby would be. Though she still had time to decide, especially since she was one of the lucky ones. Her midwife, Sarah, had given her a long technical explanation that basically boiled down to 'with the way your uterus points and the position of your baby, if you show at all I'll be surprised'.

So now here she was, barely a week away from her due date, trapped in the guildhall during one of the worst storms Magnolia had ever seen. The usual troublemakers of Gray and Natsu, along with Erza and Mirajane who were all busy trying to beat the crap out of each other, with everyone else either cheering them on or trying to mitigate the damage.

A sudden pain ripped across her belly, causing her to let out a hiss in discomfort. She had been feeling contractions for the last few days and Sarah had cheerfully informed her that she was three centimeters dilated- meaning that she could go into labor at any time now. That sobering thought was thrilling for several different reasons, on one hand she was finally going to get to meet her baby, this wonderful gift her boy had given her, on the other she was fourteen and about to become a mother, was about to go through childbirth, she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.

She also wasn't sure what would happen if she went into labor around the guild, she wasn't sure what she would say, how she would explain. All she could do was hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

"Cana."

The sound of her name drew the dark-haired girl out of her thoughts as she turned toward Lisanna.

"Do you think that you could go grab some bandages from downstairs, I think we might need them."

As if on cue Mira launched Erza into the request board with enough force to send the red head through the board and into the wall behind it. Looking at the mayhem unfolding around them, Cana nodding while rising to her feet.

"Sure thing, it'll give me a chance to stretch my legs," she said just as another pain struck her belly, her hand moving reflexively to press against her stomach as she winced. Thankfully before she could throw together a likely horrible excuse, Lisanna smiled sympathetically.

"That time of the month?" The white-haired girl asked quietly.

Cana grabbed the excuse like a lifeline, "Not quite but soon."

There, that was both true enough from a certain point of view and misleading enough she wouldn't catch on. The youngest Strauss patted her on the shoulder then moved over to where Erza was holding Mira in a headlock- trying to diffuse the situation between the two rivals.

Cana quickly moved toward the stairs that would take her to the basement- that had been close. While if she was asked, she wouldn't deny being pregnant, she also didn't want to have to explain herself until she knew what to say- which honestly might not ever happen. A thunderclap shook the building, accompanied by another sharp pain in her belly. It was so sudden the girl collapsed against the wall of the stairwell, panting heavily as the pain subsided.

"Wow," the out of breath girl managed to get out, before looking down toward her belly, "You really aren't going easy on Mommy, are you?" She muttered fondly, imagining her child giggling mischievously in the womb.

She quickly recovered and moved the short distance down the rest of the stairs to the basement storeroom, quickly locating the crate she needed, just in time for fluid to gush down her legs. Cana froze in shock, just staring at the growing puddle around her when another contraction hit. The card mage doubled over in pain as a groan escaped her lips.

Shit. Talk about terrible timing. She had to sit down- she had to get help- she had to move- her mind kept firing half formed thoughts as her feet numbly guided her towards the corner of the room where the spare blankets were piled- the bandages she had been sent to get completely vanishing from her mind as she sank against the wall, sliding down as another wave of pain washed over her.

Shit. Just honestly shit, this kid had really horrible timing. A brawl in the guildhall, a fucking monsoon outside, no way to get her midwife, no way to get to the birthing center, and she was alone and in fucking labor- the next contraction hit breaking off the thought as another pained groan escaped her. Damn, these pains were awfully close together- wasn't the first labor supposed to take hours?

Another pain whacked her over the head- first things first, her baby had decided now was the time to come out and there was absolutely nothing she could do but accept it and move on. And the next contraction struck knocking the wind out of her.

Her hands were shaking as she pulled off her soaked underwear and throwing them to the side, taking deep breaths in and out as she braced herself for the next contraction.

It struck hard enough to knock the wind out of her- these pains were maybe two or three minutes apart- it was definitely time. She had taken the damn birthing classes for a reason; she knew exactly what to do so now it was time to do it.

She managed to get herself into a squatting position just as the next contraction hit, and she bared down with it. Another groan escaped her at the exertion. Sweat rolled down her face and her nails cut semi circles into her clenched palms as she bared down again. As the pain momentarily subsided, she gasped for breath, sucking in as much air as she possibly could before the next contraction. She hesitantly moved her hands in between her legs and- oh yeah that was definitely the head. The next contraction hit, and she pushed as hard as she could, she almost felt like she was being ripped in half, but she persisted.

Then suddenly a weight slipped into her arms beneath her body and she fell back against the wall. It was over, she did it. A watery mewl broke her out of her daze as she looked down at her baby- down at her son.

He was red faced and scrunched up, covered in some kind of white gunk, his cord still connecting him to her body. He was ugly, he was slimy, and the most amazing thing she had ever seen in her life. She pulled him up and rested his head over her heart as his little arms flapped against her chest as he snuggled into her. Tears leaked out of her eyes and she was smiling so hard it almost hurt.

"Happy birthday Henry," she whispered into the crown of his head, kissing the thin thatch of dark brown hair," I'm your Mommy."

Nothing else mattered right now, the only important thing was her little son. Cana had no idea how long she laid there in pure peace with her baby, she didn't care either, but she was broken out of her thoughts by a faint call of her name.

"Geez Cana how long does it take to grab some banda- oh my god!"

The exhausted girl turned her head toward the voice, finding the gaping face of Lisanna Strauss. The white-haired girl completely struck dumb in shock at the sight of her friend.

"Wait you- what- I'll go get someone- oh my god- j-just stay there Cana- I'll just," the Take Over mage babbled before she raced up the stairs taking them two at a time as she screamed for help.

Cat was out the bag now.

The exhausted brunette turned back toward her child, his little eyes were open and staring blearily up at her. She smiled again, pulling him close and pressing another kiss to his head. She was ready for anything the world could throw at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm probably going to get some hate for this piece, but I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Just to set the record straight, Cana was not raped and no one is getting shipped in this unless you count CanaxOC. Cana is one of my favorite characters, and I have a lot of stories featuring her that I'm probably never going to publish. I always see Cana as someone who is adept at hiding her pain to the point where you could stand rightnext to her and never really know the real girl, because of this I personally see her as one of the strongest characters. Because it is one thing to fight your enemies and win, it is something completely different to fight your own self doubt to keep on moving. Whatever you think is going to happen, I can assure you I have a few surprises in store. At the moment I'm not sure how long this will be, but I do have this mapped out. Please review if you really liked it, and if you didn't and still review, please be nice- I'm just doing this to try to relieve my boredom from being stuck in quarantine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cat is out of the bag now.  
> In which everyone finds out about the baby and have no idea what it means for anybody.

It had seemed like a normal day. Erza and Mira were at each other's throats, Makarov was crying over the state of the guild's finances, Natsu and Gray with their usual battle, and everyone mitigating the damage to the guildhall. With the exception of the roiling storm outside, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.

Then Lisanna Strauss burst out of the stairwell like a bat out of hell, screaming hysterically," S-SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR! OH MY GOD SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR! Cana- oh my god- someone get help!"

The outburst from the normally mild-mannered girl immediately gripped the attention of everyone in the hall- even the fearsome rivals stopped mid-fight to stare at the disheveled white-haired girl. It took a moment, but as soon as everyone realized exactly what the Take-Over mage had just said the room burst into chaos as half the room raced toward the stairwell and the other toward Lisanna as everyone tried to figure out what was going on.

"Lisanna. Lisanna!" Mira exclaimed as she took hold of her sister's shoulder's, "What's going on? What's wrong!"

"Cana- oh my god. Oh my god. Why didn't she tell someone?" The younger Strauss shrieked hysterically, still trying to make sense of the sight of her friend covered in sweat, her legs streaked with blood, and a baby in her arms, the cord disappearing between her legs.

"What didn't Cana tell us?" Wakaba broke in, trying to figure out what was going on and if Cana had done something to herself. His brain was rapidly firing worse and worse scenarios that he desperately hoped weren't true.

Lisanna was saved from having to answer when a white-faced Macao came up out from the stairwell.

"Um, M-Master needs the girls down there with-uh, towels, water, and a med kit. It's-uh- C-Cana- Cana isn't in a place where she can move right now," the stunned man managed to stutter out.

Erza and Mira immediately moved to do as the Master had requested, burying their questions out of a worry and desire to help their friend. The half of the guild that had gone to Cana's aid slowly filed up the stairs, all in the same shell-shocked state as Macao, though none saying anything. As Erza and Mira quickly moved down the stairs, objects in tow, Wakaba had regained enough composure from the sight of his shocked friend to ask the question.

"Macao- what is going on?" the older mage asked his friend. Everyone was still trying to puzzle out what had happened. Lisanna was practically catatonic, but from the sound of it Cana was in much worse shape.

"Cana, she- well, she- she had a baby," the dark-haired man managed to get out, still not entirely sure that what he saw was real himself. He wasn't sure what he had expected when he, Makarov, and the others had raced down the stairs to the basement, but it was not what he saw. His mind had been firing images of pretty little Cana lying broken at the bottom of the stairs with her neck bent the wrong way; of her lying unconscious after a stray crate fell and hit her in the head; he even had a brief terrifying image of sweet Cana lying in a pool of her own blood with slit wrists. Out of every horrifying scenario he had created in the minute and a half it took him to get down the stairs, he still had not been prepared for what he saw.

Cana was propped up with her back leaning against the wall and her bare legs were streaked with blood, outstretched in front of her. There was a puddle of some kind of fluid near her on the floor, with some kind of fabric scrap on the floor next to her. Her skin was white and waxy, her dark hair matted with sweat, and she was breathing heavily. There was a baby in her arms. An obviously newborn baby, wrinkled and red, with its cord still attached, disappearing between Cana's, between its _mother's_ , legs. Yet the girl herself seemed utterly content, having briefly turned to look at them upon their entry into the space, before turning her attention back to the baby- back to _her_ baby.

Cana had had a baby. Sweet Cana who was practically a baby herself had a baby. She had given birth. She was this child's _mother_ now. Fuck- how had no one _noticed_ this?

Macao had barely noticed that everyone on the stairs behind him were frozen in the exact same states of shock. Makarov meanwhile had managed to get enough of a hold on himself in order to move to her side, deeply concerned about the child he had raised.

"Cana. Cana, child, are you alright? Don't worry everything is going to be alright," the minuscule mage managed to say, wanting to reassure the teenager before anything else. Before he needed answers to his own questions, before he needed to know who to kill for taking this sweet, innocent girl's childhood away- he needed to reassure the teenager (barely a teenager) that she would be fine, that they would take care of her, and that they would support her no matter what.

"I-I think I'm okay," the exhausted brunette breathed, adjusting her hold on the newborn, "Everything- everything just happened so fast- but Master," Cana looked at the man who had all but raised her and gave a smile that could have lit up a room. "I-I would like you to meet Henry."

Cana shifted her baby to give Makarov a better view of him, the newborns eyes just slightly open, as though he was trying to stay awake to see these people his mother was so fond of.

The aged wizard felt his heart lighten as he took in the sight of the thrilled new mother, but that part competed with his concern for Cana. The wizard spoke softly, as though trying to calm a skittish animal," Henry, that's a fine name for such a beautiful boy Cana. But we need to get you both cleaned up and checked out- I want to make sure you are both healthy before anything else."

Makarov turned toward Macao, who was still standing stunned by the stairs along with everyone else, "Macao can you get the girls down here, tell them to bring water, towels, and a med kit."

"Y-yes sir," the man got out as he turned and moved through the crowd on the stairs to head back to the main hall.

"SHE WHAT!"

At the stunned screams Macao was pulled out of his own mind as he took in the faces of his equally shocked guild mates. All was quiet for a moment as everyone tried to make sense of what they had just heard.

"H-how- no, _who_?" Someone managed to get out, anger rising. Cana was fourteen! She had her whole life ahead of her, and now she'd had a baby? She practically still a baby herself!

"I-I don't know," Macao stuttered, wondering that himself. Cana had never so much as mentioned a passing crush, let alone given any signs she was sexually active. More than that, how had no one noticed?

Another person, who Macao vaguely recognized as Reedus, asked another question," Did she even know she was pregnant?"

That was a fair question, one that Macao could admit to hoping was true. That she hadn't known she was pregnant, that she hadn't kept such an important thing secret. That it wasn't that she didn't trust them, but that she simply hadn't known. Unfortunately, only Cana knew the true answer to that question, and there was no telling when she would be able to answer it.

At the sound of footsteps everyone turned towards the stairwell to see Erza and Mira come up from the basement, both girls white-faced.

The eldest Strauss was the one who spoke, "Master will be up with Cana and-and the baby in few minutes. She's really tired, but somebody needs to go get a doctor to check them both out."

Nab surprisingly volunteered to brave the storm to go find someone and left rapidly. Everyone just waited, with the occasional verbalized thoughts 'why didn't she tell someone?' and 'how did no one notice?'.

Once again the sound of footsteps drew the attention of everyone in the hall, turning towards the stairwell to see Makarov in a larger form carrying a half-asleep Cana, the teenager struggling to keep herself awake, though her grip remained firm on her son, who had been wrapped in a ratty blue towel that the girls had brought down.

The sight of the girl of the hour got concerned exclamations.

"Cana!"

"Are you okay?"

"Hi everybody," the exhausted girl said, unsure of what to say to the crowd, " I know you guys have a lot of questions, and I'll explain later, but first," at this Cana lifted her baby slightly, trying to give everyone a better view of the newborn, "I'd like you all to meet Henry."

The smile on her face as she happily introduced her child broke some of the tension- because if she had named the child and seemed so happy about it then surely this couldn't be as bad as it seemed. Before anyone else could get anything out in response Makarov cut everything off, telling the crowd that all interrogations could wait until everyone had calmed down and the two had been checked out. He had not allowed for any argument as he carried mother and baby to the infirmary, leaving the still stunned crowd unsure of what was going to happen next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the next chapter, I tried to keep everyone in character as much as I could, please let me know how I did. Now that the cat is out of the bag everyone is going to be pretty confused for a bit, feelings will be hurt as everyone tries to figure out if they even really know Cana. I can promise chapter three soon, but four just does not want to come, and I promise there will be a happy ending (or at least a bittersweet ending). Stay sane in quarantine everybody!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which getting some answers only raises more questions. Everyone is left reeling in the aftermath of Cana’s baby and are now wondering if Fairy Tail is the family they thought it was.

"All things considered, both mother and baby are in surprisingly good shape," the stern faced doctor commented to the guild master as the two exited the infirmary, where Cana and her newborn son were sleeping soundly, exhausted after the day they'd had.

"The mother suffered no tears or complications; the placenta was delivered cleanly- there shouldn't be a risk of infection on the route. And the baby is a healthy seven and a half pounds, vision is fine, hearing is normal, his lungs sound good, and given what you told me, showed no signs of fetal alcohol syndrome- by all accounts a perfectly healthy baby boy. I can tell you this though- the young lady definitely carried to full term or at least close enough to negligible, however until she's awake and alert enough to answer questions there isn't any way to get the answers you want," the doctor finished as he and Makarov exited the infirmary towards the main hall.

"Thank you for coming out in this storm," Makarov replied, pushing all else out of his mind- the doctor was right they weren't going to get any answers until Cana woke up.

"No problem, in an extreme circumstance like this I'm just relieved that everything went alright."

And wasn't that a terrifying thought- if something had gone wrong Cana could have died before anyone would have even known that something was wrong. She could have had a blood clot, the baby could have gotten its cord around its neck, and who really knew how much else could have gone wrong, just thinking about it was enough to make the guildmaster break out in a cold sweat.

The guildhall was mostly quiet, a few hushed conversations breaking out here and there among the sea of concerned fairies. Everyone perked up as the two appeared, but everyone withheld their questions until after the doctor exited the main doors of the hall; and as soon as the doors closed again, however, all hell broke loose.

"Are they okay?"

"Did she know-"

"Is Cana going to be okay?"

"Is the baby healthy?"

"Who's the father?"

The questions were hurled at the guild master, each person attempting to scream above the others, trying to make themselves heard.

"QUIET!"

At the bellow from the suddenly titan-sized Makarov, everyone went quiet as he returned to his normal size, and proceeded to inform the crowd," Cana had no complications and her risk of infection is negligible. The baby is a healthy a seven pound boy, all his reflexes are normal, his lungs sound good, and shows no signs of fetal alcohol syndrome-" at this everyone jerked as they realized they had never even considered that possibility," Cana most likely carried either to term or within a week of it, and both of them are currently asleep- and until she wakes up we won’t know who the father is or if she knew she was pregnant."

The crowd digested this information and tried to process this insane day. Yet, despite relief at them both being alright, they still had questions they all wanted answers to. Makarov was right though, until Cana woke up all they would have were speculations.

As everyone dissipated back into the small groups they had been in before, conversations closer to normal volumes for Fairy Tail. Everyone was trying to figure out what would happen next, if Cana was going to keep the baby or give it up. Though the questions kept circulating, one of the most present bringing a profound sense of guilt to everyone's mind:

How had none of them noticed that Cana was pregnant?

The high voice of Natsu cut through the chatter," I thought pregnant ladies were fat- if Cana was pregnant why wasn't she fat?"

Mirajane quickly punched him into the ground," You idiot! Not all women show! What I want to know is who the dad is- I mean Cana's never really been interested in anybody."

That was a question wasn't it? Mira was right, no matter how hard they strained their memories, nobody could come up with any mention Cana ever made about boys. No one she ever had a crush on or acted different around. Or really any different behavior period, no one could remember Cana ever acting out of the ordinary- no one could remember her throwing up, or having any mood swings, or weird cravings, or anything that would indicate a pregnancy at all.

Gray was the one to ask another question that sent everyone's blood running cold," Do you think someone could have- could have _forced_ her?" The ice mage looked deeply uncomfortable even mentioning the possibility.

Wakaba interjected," If- if that had happened, she would have told someone," the man had attempted to sound confident, but the waver in his voice made it clear he wasn't totally sure.

"Well we all know how much Cana drinks, maybe she didn't remember it? Or maybe she was drugged," Nab was looking horrified at the possibilities he was voicing. Cana was such a sweet girl- what if she had been drugged, raped, and then carried her rapist's baby?

"I-I don't know about a father, but I don't think Cana knew," the voice of Lisanna caused all eyes to turn to the Take-Over mage, " She got a pain-contraction-right in front of me, s-she said her period was supposed to be soon- if- if she was having a baby she would have said something!"

Lisanna's words made everyone start chiming in.

"Lisanna's probably right, I mean maybe she just didn't have any symptoms?"

"You guys saw her-she definitely didn't look nine months."

"She would have told somebody about something this important!"

Everyone was hoping what they were voicing was the truth. That Cana hadn't known she was pregnant until she suddenly had a baby in her arms. Because the alternative was that she had known, and she hadn't trusted anyone else enough to tell them. That she had hidden every sign and kept quiet because she hadn't felt that she could say anything. No one was sure what the aftermath of a revelation like that would bring.

"Speculations aside, someone needs to get Cana's things, I don't want her leaving until she's healed a bit," Makarov interjected, shutting everything down, he turned toward the girls," Can one of you go get her things from Fairy Hills?"

That caused the girls to start.

"Master- Cana moved out of Fairy Hills a few months ago. She said that she found a place she liked that was cheaper."

 _That_ got the diminutive man's attention, "What?"

"Yeah, I don't know where her new place is- you guys," Erza turned towards the other girls, only to see them shaking their heads.

"I-I don't think I ever asked," Mira admitted, feeling like a horrible person for not making sure she knew where her friend lived.

If they didn't bother to think about something as simple as where she lived, were they as good of friends as they had thought. Did they even know Cana at all?

All of a sudden, the idea she hadn't trusted anyone enough to tell them seemed a lot more plausible. But speculations were just speculations, they wouldn't get any answers until Cana woke up. So now all the members of Fairy Tail could do was sit and wait, wondering if they hadn't been the family they had thought they were to the brunette girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the aftermath of the big reveal. No one is entirely sure what is going to happen or how things are going to play out. I promise that there will be a semi-happy ending, though the reveal of how Cana met Henry's father is going to make everyone feel horrible. I also want to say that Cana was not raped, it was just everyone throwing ideas around, because the idea that they did not notice something this important has shaken everybody up. I actually came up with an alternate to this story-where she did tell them, maybe when the story is done I'll post it. Please let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for Cana to face the music and admit that she kept her pregnancy a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the chapter that just did not want to come! Nothing was working until suddenly I had inspiration and it came out perfect.

_Wise Men Say_

_Only Fools Rush in_

_But I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

_I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

Cana sang softly to her son as he nursed, she still couldn't quite believe that he was here, despite knowing that the end of her pregnancy would result in a baby, it had never seemed real until he was finally there. She could see his father in him, the slope of his nose and the shape of his eyes, her boy had had lovely eyes, hopefully Henry would get them.

The card mage gently untangled her son's tiny hand from where it had fisted in her hair. She was basking in the warmth of the sun, shining in from the windows of the infirmary. It seemed the storm had passed at some point while she had slept. She had stayed awake long enough for the doctor to check her out then she had crashed.

Sooner or later it would be time for her to face the music, she had to prepare for the questions she knew would be coming, there would be no running away. Cana looked down as Henry stopped feeding, firmly patting his back until he released a belch that seemed entirely too loud for such a tiny creature. Laughing she wiped off the spit up milk from his mouth, the baby already asleep again.

A knock at the door drew her attention away from her infant, Makarov's head poked in and upon seeing that she was awake, entered the room with Macao and Wakaba in tow.

"So, I see you're up, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay Master- but what did the doctor say about Henry?" The concerned mother asked.

That got a smile from everyone in the room.

"He's a perfectly healthy, seven-pound boy," the guild master said gently, then gesturing to how she was holding the infant," Though it does seem like you are something of a natural with him."

The brunette blushed at the praise.

Macao interjected, rubbing the back of his head," Cana, you really had us worried. When Lisanna came up I don't know what any of us expected to find, but you two certainly wasn't it."

That got a nervous laugh from the card mage, "Yeah, I- I feel so stupid. I should have realized what was going on."

Unbeknownst to the new mother, her words made the hopes of the men rise- she hadn't known, she hadn't known she was pregnant- only for them to come crashing down.

"I mean, my due date was next week and at my last checkup Sarah told me I was already dilated. I just assumed they were just more practice contractions- I should have realized that I was in labor. Then next thing I knew my water broke and- everything just happened so fast!" The rambling brunette paused for breath, during which Wakaba blurted out the now rhetorical question.

"Wait- you knew you were pregnant?"

The girl flinched at the accusation, before quietly admitting," Yeah, yeah I knew."

The men were left shocked speechless, the guilt of their obvious failure toward her rising with each moment.

"Why- why didn't you say anything?!"

That made the girl look down, feeling guilty over hurting her family like this, before seriously asking," Do you want me to tell you the truth, or do you want me to lie to you?"

That question was not one the men had expected, but it was a good one, whatever the truth was, how bad could it be compared to what they were creating in their own heads?

It was Makarov who answered for the trio," Tell us the truth child."

Cana nodded, checking that Henry's head was supported correctly, before continuing with a truth she knew they wouldn't want to hear.

"At first it was because I didn't know what to say, then I told myself that I wasn't saying anything because it wasn't anyone's business except mine. But neither of those things is the truth. The truth is I was hoping someone would notice. I never actively hid anything, I thought someone would notice when I started acting different. I thought someone would ask me why I moved out of Fairy Hills, I hoped someone would ask me why I quit drinking, why I was suddenly only doing low-risk missions, why I started going to see a doctor every other week- but nobody ever did. After a while, I just didn't want to tell anyone, because I started thinking no one would care if something was different- "

"That's not true Cana!" Macao blurted out, horrified that a girl he had thought of as his own daughter had gone through everything alone. Damn it all why hadn't he seen something? Why hadn't he noticed?

The other two men were asking themselves the same questions, how far had Fairy Tail failed Cana?

The card mage tried to interject, wanting to stop them from blaming themselves for this," It's not your fault! It's nobody's fault but mine, you guys have your own lives and missions, and I was selfish! I just don't stand out much! I should have just pulled myself together and told you, its- I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough."

Makarov had heard enough, he walked over to his distressed child and pulled her into his embrace. Then he carefully pulled the newborn from his mother's arms and set him in his makeshift cradle. Taking Cana back into his arms, he held her like the child she was.

"Cana, you are one of the bravest souls I have ever seen." The tearful man told the stunned girl," I know so many adults who would not have had the strength to go through with this, even with support. You transformed your entire life in order to be the mother your son deserved, you delivered him alone in what had to have been a terrifying moment for you. Cana, you have shown more bravery in your little finger than some show in their entire bodies. But you never should have had to be brave."

That made Cana blink in confusion, looking up at Makarov in astonished confusion," Cana, you should have had no problem coming to someone and telling them you were pregnant. You should not have had to go through all of this alone. Someone should have been with you at every doctor's appointment, should have been with you on every job, been with you to set up your home for your child."

Makarov paused, taking a breath before continuing," And most of all, you should not have been alone when you brought this beautiful boy into the world. You should have had the entire guild behind you at every step and I am so sorry you didn't feel like you could trust us."

Wakaba chose this moment to add onto what Makarov had said," And Cana, if you think you will be raising this child alone, you are very much mistaken. Everyone is behind you, the whole guild wants to make sure that you're alright, and we want to be part of your baby's life."

Macao continued on," I can already tell that you're a wonderful mother, Henry is a very lucky little boy," the fire mage teased.

Cana had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face," Thank you, I want you to be in his life. I want him to have a giant family who he can count on, I love this guild, and I love all of you- I can't picture raising him anywhere but here in Magnolia, with my family."

Turning back toward her son in his makeshift cradle," I-I never realized that you could love someone this much."

That got a small laugh out of Makarov," I felt the same way when Ivan was born, and again when Laxus came into the world. Its truly an incredible thing- the love between a parent and child. Speaking of which-"here his voice gained a teasing lilt," If you think anyone is letting you out of sight for a while you have another thing coming Missy! You and the rest of those brats downstairs, I want to know where you are and when you sneeze- no excuses!"

Cana just started laughing, feeling pure joy beyond the bounds of anything she had felt since her boy had gone, since she had held Henry in her arms for the first time. Everything was going to be alright.

The atmosphere was broken by Macao, who seemed sorry to do so," Cana, you haven't said anything about Henry's father."

That made spirits plummet, as anything else that might have been said died on their tongues. The three men collectively took stock of the child they each viewed as their own.

A single tear fell from Cana's eye as she steadfastly ignored everyone else in the room, choosing to focus only on her baby.

This startled the trio- each immediately jumping to the worst possible conclusion.

"Cana- "Makarov started, alarmed.

He was cut off by the new mother in question, a sad smile on her face.

"Master, everyone, let me tell you a story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, ends the newest installment! Up next comes what everyone has been waiting for, the story of how Cana met the boy who would change her entire world. I might just make you cry with the next one guys. Please tell me what you thought, if I represented the characters well, or if you have something to say. But please be nice guys, if the criticism isn't constructive then I won't respond.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you a story. A story about two lost souls who came together to create something wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cana disassociates while telling the story, and all the men can do is listen speechless at all they had been ignorant to.

"Let me tell you a story about a boy and a girl, two lost souls who found love where they least expected it.

"The girl had been adopted by quite the eclectic group of people, who took in a lost child looking for her father. Though not quite what she had expected, she quickly grew to adore her new home and everyone in it. From the loose floorboard five steps to the left from the main door to the cookies hidden behind the bar. She loved the loud parties, the clash of so many different people linked together by bonds of trust. She was thrilled when slowly more children her own age started joining her rag tag family, though they frequently excluded her from their games, she still loved them all the same. But the girl mourned, when she saw her own blood ignorant of her presence, she never blamed him though, it was hardly his fault she was too cowardly to tell him the truth- and so the first seeds were planted.

"The girl learned to use card magic in an effort to repay her family for their kindness, yet her efforts never seemed like enough. In comparison to the others her own powers just could not compare; she was not as powerful, outspoken, intelligent, or beautiful as the others were and slowly, she grew to envy them. She looked in the mirror and found herself lacking. 'Why can't you command a room with presence your alone' she asked herself, 'Why aren't you a powerful wizard? Why do you lack the courage to tell your father the truth?'.

"Little by little the girl began to hate herself. She hated herself for her weakness, for her cowardice, for her shy nature, and more than anything she hated herself for her envy. The others had suffered horribly in their lives, slavery, abandonment, trauma- compared to them she had led a charmed life, how dare she be so ungrateful to the family that she loved so much? But no matter how much she wished, the thoughts didn't stop.

"A great black cloud had swallowed her whole, slowly stealing her strength, until it became a struggle to get out of bed in the morning. She tried to dull the pain with stolen drinks, but it wasn't long before that method ceased to work; it became all she could do to hide her pain, not wishing to burden anyone else, surely if they knew what a horrible person she really was they wouldn't want her as part of their family anymore.

"One day, one fateful day, the black cloud seemed to have temporarily receded, granting her a glimpse of light that she had been blind to for so long. On this day the girl's unknowing father had returned home, 'this time' she thought, 'this time for sure, I will tell him, and he will accept me'. She approached him hoping to finally feel her father's love, only for the world to deny her. The strong, powerful, genial man who shared her blood had listened to a story of strength from the dragon's son and loudly declared to all that he was the child he had always wanted.

"Suddenly the light was gone, and the blackness swallowed her whole- blinding her eyes, deafening her ears, and filling her soul with despair. That night she made her decision, she couldn't continue on like this, she was not worthy of being her father's daughter and she was not worthy of her family's love. So, she wrote out her goodbyes and set out for the bridge.

"I told you when I began, that this was the story of a boy and a girl- the boy had a hard life. He battled his own demons of inadequacy and self-hatred, until one fateful day the blackness consumed him, and he finally surrendered. The blackness blinded his eyes and deafened his ears and filled his soul with despair. He could no longer continue fighting, and so he wrote out his goodbyes and set out for the bridge.

"The bridge…perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps it was fate, that two despairing souls should decide to leave the world on the same night and go to the same place to do so. The two locked eyes upon arriving at their destination. An understanding unlike anything either had ever experienced passed between them, they recognized each other as kindred spirits, tired of living, and each was relieved at the other's presence- because it would be so much worse to die alone.

"They approached the railing of the bridge together, and the boy held out his hand to the girl, who gladly took it as they climbed up and onto the edge of the bridge. Hand in hand they stared at the dark water below, waiting for the moment they would allow themselves to fall into its depths and be freed from their pain.

"Not a single word ever passed between them in the hours they sat on the brink of oblivion for a moment that never came. For hours they took comfort in the presence of each other, in knowing that the other understood exactly what they were going through. When the dawn broke, the sun greeting the world for a new day, they climbed down from the edge, and they walked away together hand in hand.

"One day. One perfect, beautiful day they spent together. The weight of darkness banished by the light of the sun falling upon them, warming their hearts as the two lonely souls became one. They danced and sang and played as children do, shared every hope, fear, and memory. As the day came to a close the laid together as lovers do, one heart, one body, one soul. Together they had found something they had never realized they had lost and created a love that so many spend eternity searching for.

"The boy was gone by morning, taking his own life not out of despair but from happiness. He said to her 'I feel as though I have fulfilled my purpose, I was born so that we would meet. You have chased away the darkness that was devouring me alive, I can go now, with no regrets, because you have given me peace. This isn't goodbye, this is until we meet again, because one day we shall be reunited and shall never part again'. Despite knowing she would miss him, the girl was so happy, happy that she had been able to give him peace, happy that he loved her, and because she knew that what he said was true- one day they would be together again. You might be wondering why she didn't go with him; it was strange that they both knew she would not go with him then, but something told them that it wasn't her time. Perhaps it was fate stepping in to keep her there, because her story wasn't over yet, perhaps it wasn't- it is doubtful that question will ever be answered definitively.

"She stayed with him until the end, then she kissed his forehead and proceeded to walk back to her old life, at peace. She was never going to be the girl she once had been, but it was definitely a change for the better. It wasn't long before she discovered why she had felt the need to stay- she and her boy had created something wonderful on that one perfect day.

"It would appear to some that the story has ended, but that couldn't be farther from the truth- it has only just begun."

Cana turned to the spellbound men, totally content with her story out in the open. Her only regret was that she knew it would hurt them, that they would feel guilty that they had missed everything that had been going on in her life, but she respected them too much to lie to them when they had asked for honesty.

"He isn't truly gone, you know? I hear his laugh when the wind blows through the branches of the trees, the brick of the chimney in my apartment is the callouses on his hands, I see his smile when the sun reflects off the water. I see him in our son, Henry already looks so much like him, and I know that one day when our son is all grown up, I will see him again. Until that day, I will live my life to the fullest and raise Henry to be as good of a man as his father, and make sure that he will never know the blackness as long as he lives."

Makarov was the first to break the stunned silence that followed Cana's story, "I am so sorry I never saw how you suffered."

The old man felt the tears drip down his face as he stared in awe at the child he had seen grow up- she truly was the strongest person he had ever seen. Anyone else would have given up, would have jumped long before she finally broke, would not have stayed in the world that had made her so unhappy. Yet, while one had left the world after he found peace, she had stayed, because subconsciously she had already realized the need to be the mother her son deserved. For her to come from the brink of despair, to the content young mother he saw now was a journey he wished he could have helped her with.

And that was the crux of it wasn't it? He had been ignorant to what she had been going through, Cana had met the father of her child when she had gone to that bridge intending to commit suicide- Fairy Tail owed that nameless young man a debt they would never be able to repay.

"Cana, you said that your father was why you joined the guild- who is he?" Wakaba asked, having a pretty good idea, but wanting to hear her say it.

The brunette smiled," When he comes back next, I'll finally tell him, after all I want my son to have his grandfather in his life. Gildarts is a really busy man and his missions are important- I can wait a little longer."

As the girl happily returned to watching her child sleep, all three men felt their jaws drop at the revelation that Gildarts Clive, the Ace of Fairy Tail was Cana's father. Cana had shocked them so many times in the span of a few hours.

Once again Makarov was the one to break the silence as he joined Cana in gazing at the newborn," You have a beautiful boy, I'm honored to be part of his life."

Nothing was ever going to be the same, but it was definitely for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a really hard time getting all this down and I know some people may get mad about my depictions of mental health and of how I handled this story. I just wanted to make this real, she's not alright but she's getting better, the point of her boy was that he had been at the lowest of the low where he just couldn't live because he was so depressed and then when he and Cana had their moment, he died because he felt he had fulfilled whatever purpose he was put on this planet to do. Both he and Cana had some kind of moment, where they both realized while it was his time, it wasn't hers. I have so many alternative chapters I may get around to posting- ones where Cana was open about her pregnancy from the beginning, one where she delivered a day early and everyone is freaking out not knowing where she is, one where they actually go through with it, one where she and her boy live and raise Henry together, I have a lot in this little world and I'm very attached to it at this point.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year later and it’s time for one last secret to be revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have reached the end! Thank you to everyone who stuck with me this far! Here is the happy ending!

"Happy Birthday Henry!"

Everyone cheered as the now one-year old boy happily clapped his hands at everyone's enthusiasm, despite having no idea that it was for him. The whole guildhall had been decked out for Henry's first birthday: balloons, streamers, confetti- they had really pulled out all the stops.

Cana laughed as she shifted her grip on her wriggling son, as she marveled at the celebration around her. A lot had changed in the span of a year- for starters the Master had kept his word about keeping her in his sight at all times and the entire guild had only been too eager to help him out when he couldn't physically be there. It was a weird combination of endearing and smothering.

She had stayed in the infirmary in the guild for a week before she had been allowed to take her baby home- only to have an impromptu baby shower waiting for her. They had pulled out all the stops then too, and Henry had never worn an outfit more than twice in the entirety of his life so far. She had someone checking in on her every few hours, trying to get her to let them help- it had taken awhile before she had realized that it was alright to let them. She had been escorted to and from the guild, and everyone had made sure that she didn't have to take any jobs for the first six months of his life (they had tried to make it a year, but she had been adamant about wanting to stand on her own two feet).

Henry was shaping up to be one of the most well-loved children in Fiore, and she couldn't be happier.

"Mama, Mama down!" Her baby insisted, tugging on her dark curls, until she put let him down, the one-year-old happily toddling around.

Gray guided him over to the pile of presents, Henry immediately grabbed one and tried to give it to Gray, not understanding why his uncle wouldn't take it. That was just her son in a nutshell.

Unknown to the young mother, Makarov was watching her with fond eyes. He was prouder of her than words could describe. Cana had taken to motherhood like a fish to water, never hesitating when it came to the late nights and diaper changes- just shrugging and saying she knew what she was in for and there was no point in complaining. The only problem had been getting her to let someone else take him for a few hours so she could have some time to herself. Now though she was more than comfortable letting them babysit as she took jobs (that were limited to twice a month and only lasted for a few hours at most). She had come so far from the little girl she had once been.

He had actually offered to try and get Gildarts back early, only for Cana to shoot him down. She told him that the missions Gildarts took were important and he helped a lot of people- she could wait a little while longer, it wasn't an issue. Makarov had been left staring at the mature young woman, if she had turned out this well then maybe they were doing something right after all.

Henry had grown so much in the span of a year, now having a head of his mother's dark curls and violet eyes, though that seemed to be all he had gotten from Cana. The shape of his eyes and the slope of his nose gave Makarov a glimpse at the young man he would never meet in the sweet boy's face. Cana had never told anyone the young man's name (though, considering her pregnancy, that might be because no one ever directly asked), he doubted she ever would, but he felt so grateful to the young man who had inadvertently saved his child's life, it was a debt that would never be repaid.

"Gampa! Gampa!"

Makarov turned toward the tiny voice of his surrogate grandchild- he couldn't describe how honored he had felt when he had gone to check in on her and when the girl had opened the door with her baby in her arms said to the child 'looks like grandpa is here to see you!'. Needless to say, Makarov held the title 'grandpa' higher than any other moniker he had earned in his long life, he fondly remembered when Laxus had called him that, he missed those days.

"Alright I think it's time for the birthday boy to blow out the candles and I think we should have his mother help out- what do you guys think?" Wakaba yelled getting a round of cheers for the crowd as mother and son were led to the table where the cake had been laid out.

"Cake! Mama- Cake?" Henry took his treats very seriously.

"Yes, cake you sweet little thing," Cana cooed as she scooped up her son, blowing a raspberry onto his stomach as he squealed.

One obligatory song later and Henry was covered in frosting trying to smear cake on his mother's face as everyone else laughed hysterically. Everyone startled as the bells started to ring in a very familiar way.

Gildarts was back.

The entire guild rushed to the main doors as Magnolia shifted to welcome its hero home. Unseen to everyone Cana steeled herself at the knowing looks from Macao, Wakaba, and Makarov. Even if she lost her nerve, they would make her come clean- and she had already lost enough time with her father as it is. It was time to tell Gildarts the truth.

The customary challenge from Natsu greeted the crash mage as he stepped through the doors of the guild hall. After backhanded the dragon slayer into the ceiling he took in the decked-out hall, an eyebrow raised and smile quirking at his lips.

"Whoa- what's the party?"

He was answered by a laughing Makarov, "It's our youngest members birthday."

"Youngest member?" Gildarts ask, combing his memory to see if he could figure out who it was, only to lose his concentration at a loud squeal. He turned to see a young lady he recognized as Cana dancing with a laughing baby in her arms.

"Who's the kid Cana's got?" he asked curiously, only to be shocked to the core when Makarov answered.

"That would be our youngest member. His name is Henry, he's her son."

" _Son!?_ But Cana's what- fourteen or fifteen?" Gildarts asked incredulously.

"She was fourteen when she had him and he's a year old today. She may be young, but she's a fantastic mother." Makarov responded.

The crash mage settled at the bar as the party reconvened. After a while Cana handed Henry off to Wakaba and approached Fairy Tail's Ace.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment… it's-it's important."

Gildarts looked at the brunette curiously before responding, "Sure thing- we can head up to the second floor, I don't think Master will mind."

In unison both turned to where Henry was attempting to feed the diminutive master a piece of his birthday cake- attempting being the key word. Despite having cake smeared all over his face the old man looked absolutely delighted. Both Cana and Gildarts laughed before heading up the stairs to the exclusive second floor as the party continued below.

"Congratulations on your baby- he seems like a sweet boy."

The card mage blushed, clearly taking pride in her child, "Thank you."

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Gildarts asked curiously, he couldn't remember ever having really talked to Cana before, and he genuinely had no idea what this was about.

This was it, now or never.

"Did you know that the reason I joined the guild was to find my father?" The violet eyed brunette asked.

That got a surprised blink from the redhead, "Actually that's the first I've heard of it, wait are you saying your old man was a member of Fairy Tail?" Why was she telling him this?

"It's you Gildarts. I don't know if you remember her, but my mother's name was Cornelia- she told me where to find you before she died."

Did she- did she just-

"W-what, you are- Conny was- "the crash mage couldn't form words. He had heard about Cornelia's death, he was still trying to recover honestly, but- Conny had his child. Before he even knew what, he was doing he was wrapping Cana in his arms, wrapping his _daughter_ in his arms for the first time.

"Why- why didn't you tell me?" He could have raised her; he _should have_ raised her- how much had he missed?

"At first it was because something always came up, then later it was because I didn't feel like I was good enough," Cana admitted," And now- now I want Henry to have his grandfather in his life, not that Master isn't great at the role."

Wait-what? Oh right. The party. Henry. Cana's baby, her baby- his baby's baby. That made him his grandfather. He was a grandfather. He was too young to be a grandfather!

"Yeah he wasn't exactly planned," Cana said sheepishly.

Oh, he must have said that out loud.

"I'm a grandfather." He couldn't get over that part- wait a second, "But who's the father?" He asked incredulously- inwardly wondering who he needed to beat senseless- Cana was _fifteen_ and she had been _fourteen_ when her baby had been born!

Cana took a deep breath, "Hey Dad, let me tell you a story."


End file.
